1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates mainly to a heat treatment container in which a SiC substrate is heated under Si vapor pressure for etching.
2. Description of the Related Art
SiC, which is superior to Si or the like in, for example, heat resistance and electrical characteristics, has attracted attention as a new semiconductor material.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-16691 discloses a surface treatment method for planarizing a surface of a SiC substrate. In the surface treatment method, a SiC substrate is heat-treated while being stored in a storage container (heat treatment container). The storage container includes an upper container and a lower container that are fittable to each other. The storage container, when the upper container and the lower container are fitted to each other, forms a hermetically sealed space. A heat treatment is performed with the upper container and the lower container fitted to each other and with Si pellets placed in the storage container. Performing such a heat treatment results in etching the SiC substrate arranged within the storage container, to obtain the SiC substrate that is planar at the molecular level.